• The building of the Boldești-Scăeni Community Resource Centre aims to become the most sustainable building in Europe;
  • The Center will host activities for socially disadvantaged people in the community;
  • The project is a partnership model for developing lasting relations between public authorities, the local community, a private company and representatives of civil society;
  • The OMV Petrom initiative is supported by Boldești-Scăeni City Hall, the Centre for Sustainability in Built Environment (CSMC), Habitat for Humanity Romania and the Amare Rromentza Roma Center;
  • The amount invested by OMV Petrom to date in this social responsibility project is 650.000 Euros

Bucharest, June 4, 2015 - OMV Petrom opened the doors of the Community Resource Centre (CERC) Boldești-Scăeni during an event organized on World Environment Day, among locals. The Centre was built with the purpose of hosting educational and social programs for disadvantaged people. Also, the project is special because of the specifics of the building, made of environmentally friendly materials and independent from the public water, electricity and gas utility grid.

Adrian Pop, a representative of CSMC and a young architect who was part of the PRISPA project, alongside Ionuț Cioloş from Habitat for Humanity Romania, were responsible for the development of the concept and execution of the building.

One of its strengths is the selection of materials: whether traditional ones such as straw bales used for insulation of walls, wood shingle and clay, or innovative ones, such as permeable concrete or the metallic screw foundation, they are all elements that contributed to the uniqueness of the building.

The construction operates in an independent manner from the public utility grid. The center will supply itself with drinking water from a well that was drilled 6 meters in depth and the rainwater will be collected and used in toilets. Waste water will be treated and turned into fertilizer, thus completing the water natural cycle. The electricity will come from 45 solar panels and the heat will be provided by radiating panels.

After its first year of functioning, the building aims to become certified by the most rigorous international standard in sustainable construction: Living Building Challenge. Thus, the CERC Boldești Scăeni building might become one of the most sustainable buildings in Europe.

The Centre is designed to host educational and social projects financed by OMV Petrom and implemented with the help of the Amare Rromentza Roma Center. Even before the inauguration of the Centre, since 2012, the NGO has been actively involved in the community life of Boldești-Scăeni, by organizing "school after school" type projects for children from disadvantaged families, mentoring programs for their parents and other activities of intercultural nature or meant to help locals conclude their basic education.

Thus, the Centre becomes the headquarters of all these initiatives and, at the same time, will host a new professional qualification program for adults who want to learn a trade and have the chance of a job in the Boldești-Scăeni community. So far, over 200 people were supported in order to reduce school dropouts and help with social integration.

At the end of the event, Mona Nicolici, OMV Petrom Sustainability Manager, and the mayor of Boldești-Scăeni, Constantin Bucuroiu, have cut the ribbon and officially opened the doors of CERC Boldești-Scăeni. At the inauguration of the Centre, Mona Nicolici said:

"After a challenging year, we are officially opening CERC Boldești Scăieni, the center that will contribute, through its projects, to a better future for the Roma community and for those who come from disadvantaged families. It will be that special place that every community should have - where people will learn to succeed in life irrespective of their social condition and where they will learn to support each other."

CERC Boldești-Scăeni is part of a larger project initiated in 2012 by OMV Petrom in the town where the company conducts operational activities. Its main purpose was to support the Roma population in Boldești-Scăeni (which reaches about 10% of the town's total population) by integrating it on a social, educational and professional level. The total investment, between 2012 and 2015, amounts to approximately 650.000 euros, of which 340.000 euros were spent for building the Boldești-Scăeni Community Resource Centre.

OMV Petrom - Resourcefulness
Since 2012, OMV Petrom adopted the concept of the OMV Group for responsible business - Resourcefulness. We intend to develop relationships based on win-win situations for society, environment and company through innovative solutions. We focus on water and CO2 management, innovation and new energies and education for the development of people.

OMV Petrom is a member of UN Global Compact. The ethical standards and code of conduct govern all business affairs and the dialogue and involvement of stakeholders are part of the company's business practice.

"Andrei's Country" is the main platform for community involvement. Since 2007, we have invested over 40 Million Euros for community development in Romania.

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